Brooke filing period begins

January 13, 2013

The offices of mayor, several council seats and other city positions will be on ballots in elections held this year in Follansbee, Wellsburg and Bethany.

The filing periods for candidates in the Follansbee and Wellsburg elections will begin Monday and continue through Jan. 26. The filing period for Bethany begins Monday and continues through March 15.

In Follansbee, all elected city offices, including mayor, police chief, city clerk, city attorney and all six council seats, will be on ballots in the April 2 primary election and June 11 general election.

The filing fee is $20 for each office.

In Wellsburg, the offices of mayor, city collector-treasurer and one council seat for each of the city's four wards will be on ballots in its elections, which will be held on the same dates.

The filing fee is $30 for collector-treasurer, which is a full-time position; $20 for mayor; and $10 for each council seat.

In Bethany, the positions of mayor, town recorder and all five council at large seats will be up in the June 11 general election. The town doesn't hold a primary election, and there are no filing fees.

Follansbee candidates may obtain certificates of announcement from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Follansbee City Building.

Hoffman said Bethany residents again will be able to cast ballots by mail before Election Day, and details will be announced in April. Details about early voting in Wellsburg and Follansbee also will be announced.

The town was among six municipalities, with a population of 2,000 or less, that were permitted in 2009 to offer early mail-in voting in a pilot program conducted by the Secretary of State's office.

"We permitted to do it for two election cycles," Hoffman said.

She added while just 19 residents participated, the move saved the town about $500 it would have paid for poll workers on two early voting days. Previously the town was required to hold in-person early voting on the two Saturdays before the election.

Follansbee City Clerk David Kurcina said he's been advised by the Secretary of State's office that municipal government offices that normally wouldn't be open on Saturdays aren't required to be open for the candidate filing period. But the cities must accept candidate forms postmarked with that date.

Wellsburg City Hall and the Follansbee Municipal Building will be closed on Jan. 21 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Blum and Kurcina said poll workers also are needed for the two elections, which will be held from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Those interested in working at the Wellsburg elections should call Blum at the above number.

For information about working at the Follansbee elections, call (304) 527-1330.